by JK Logix and Peninsula Gardens
Tips & Techniques on the Best Ways to Keep Your Cannabis Fresh
Some call it 'Ditch Weed.' Others may call it 'Schwag' or 'Reggie.' But no matter what nickname you use, you've likely experienced the harsh taste and weakened potency of bad marijuana at some point in your lifetime. If not, we don't recommend starting now.
Keeping weed fresh is essential to preserving its potency, flavor, and overall quality. Whether you grow your own or buy from someone else, keeping your ganja green can be boiled down to four key components:
Proper storage
Temperature and humidity control
Protection against light exposure
Handling of product
By drawing on our experience serving the Michigan cannabis industry and gathering insightful advice from experts in the literal fields, we've created this guide to help both cultivators and consumers keep their marijuana fresh and flavorful for months.
How Cultivators can Keep Weed Fresh
1. Efficient Product Storage
When it comes to cannabis warehousing and storage, it isn't just about having a space to keep your products. It's about maintaining the right conditions to preserve the quality of your cannabis. Proper storage can prevent degradation of cannabinoids and terpenes, ensuring your product remains potent and flavorful.
Key Factors to Consider:
Temperature Control: Store cannabis in a cool, dark place to prevent the degradation of cannabinoids and terpenes. Optimal storage temperatures range between 60-70°F.
Humidity Levels: Maintain humidity levels between 59-63% to prevent mold growth and preserve the texture and potency of the buds.
Light Exposure: UV light can break down cannabinoids, reducing potency. Always store cannabis in opaque, airtight containers.
2. Inventory Management for Cannabis Businesses
Efficient inventory management is crucial for any cannabis business. It ensures compliance with Michigan regulations, minimizes waste, and improves customer satisfaction by providing fresh, high-quality products.
Best Practices:
Regular Audits: Conduct frequent inventory audits to ensure accuracy and compliance. This helps identify discrepancies early and prevents potential losses.
Inventory Tracking Software: Use advanced software solutions like those offered by JK Logix to track product movement and maintain real-time inventory levels. This enhances visibility and streamlines operations.
Packaging: Speed of packaging locks in freshness so the faster you can harvest product minimizes its exposure to open elements. Utilizing vacuum sealing and casing also helps ensure product stability during transportation.
First-In, First-Out (FIFO): Implement FIFO practices to ensure older stock is sold first, reducing the risk of inventory remaining unsold and degrading over time.
3. Drying and Curing Marijuana
Drying and curing are essential processes that ensure cannabis achieves its best flavor, potency, and longevity. Drying begins immediately after harvest, removing excess moisture from the buds to prevent mold while maintaining cannabinoids and terpenes. Typically, marijuana is hung upside down in a dark, well-ventilated space with controlled humidity (around 50-60%) and temperatures (60-70°F). This process usually takes around 7-10 days, depending on the environment.
Curing follows drying, allowing the remaining moisture inside the buds to evenly distribute and enhance the overall quality. Properly cured cannabis is stored in airtight containers, such as glass jars, which are opened (“burped”) daily for the first couple of weeks to release excess humidity and replenish fresh air. This step is critical for developing richer flavors and smoother smoke, as well as improving the shelf life of the product.
For a detailed guide on the marijuana drying and curing process, check out Grow Weed Easily's great resource here.
4. Secure Transportation to the Final Destination
Just like you would never drive a baby around without a car seat, you should never transport cannabis around in an unsecured vehicle. Being the lifeblood of our business, JK Logix understandably puts a lot of time, resources, and investment into ensuring our clients' bud is moved from grow facility to dispensary in the most controlled environment possible.
Must-have features for secure cannabis transportation
JK Logix prides itself on having a fleet of armored transport vehicles operating at the highest levels safety, security, and control in the biz. But, whatever service you use, you'll want to make sure they offer at LEAST the following features to ensure product quality:
Humidity Control System
Climate Control System
Space Dedicated Specifically for Cannabis
GPS Tracking/Monitoring Capabilities
Handling Safety Mechanisms like Anti-Slip Flooring and Navigation Cameras.
"Here at Hytek we put a lot of pride into what we do trying to deliver the best product and that doesn't stop when we ship it out the door. Companies need a partner they can trust to deliver their product to the stores and get it there fresh, accurate, and compliant."
- 'Chocolate,' Owner of Hytek Detroit and JK Logix Partner
How Consumers can Keep Their Weed Fresh
Storing cannabis properly isn't just important for businesses—consumers also need to know how to keep weed fresh at home. Here are some expert tips:
1. Use Airtight Containers
Store cannabis in airtight containers to preserve its potency and flavor. Glass jars with airtight seals are ideal.
2. Avoid Refrigerators and Freezers
While it might seem like a good idea, storing cannabis in the fridge or freezer can be a liability. It's less about the cold and more about how these environments can introduce moisture; leading to the growth of marijuana's arch nemesis: mold. Stick to cool, dark places.
Pro-tip: One storage option many cannabis enthusiasts prefer is a cooler without ice. In addition to providing control for humidity/temperature and protection from light exposure, this environment is also excellent for mitigating odors.
3. Keep Away from Direct Light
Store your cannabis in a dark place to prevent exposure to UV light, which can degrade cannabinoids and reduce potency.
4. Control Humidity Levels
Humidity is especially relevant in states like Michigan where we can experience big temperature and moisture swings in the same day. You'll want to maintain a relative humidity (RH) level between 59% and 63%. One easy, cost-effective way to do so is by purchasing humidity packs - which you can get for around $1/unit on Amazon.
5. Avoid Frequent Handling
Minimize handling of the product to preserve its trichomes, which contain essential oils and cannabinoids. This is especially relevant when it comes to grinding your weed as grinding reduces the longevity of the plant. While your ground weed should still stay fresh almost as long as full bud with the proper storage, it will still lose flavor and aroma at a much faster rate.
Maintaining cannabis quality from creation to consumption is a multifaceted process that requires attention to detail in both storage and inventory management. But if you follow the tips listed above, you'll significantly exxtend the shelf life, freshness, and potency of this lovely plant.
If you're a business in the cannabis industry fielding frustrations from consumers on quality, then JK Logix can help turn those complaints into 5 star reviews. Contact us to learn more and we'd be happy to provide solutions and ideas to address your specific needs.
Thank you to the cultivators at Peninsula Gardens for lending their industry expertise for this article!